National group reaches out to local school board members for grass-roots action

Friday, September 8, 2017

The National School Boards Action Center is using September to emphasize the power of local school board members.

NSBAC is coordinating a series of “impact days” to engage school board members, essential advocates for public education. On Monday, Sept. 11, NSBAC is asking education advocates to flood Twitter with public school options using #PublicSchools1st. On Tuesday, the National School Boards Association will livestream on Facebook the policy briefing “Our Public Schools: Expanding the Horizon of Educational Choice.”

NSBAC also wants to grow Friends of Public Education, ready-to-go advocates for crucial legislation. Events later in the month include webinars on working with Congress and influencing legislators through social media.

NSBAC plans to mobilize education stakeholders at the local, state and federal level, said OSBA Board President Betty Reynolds. She is a board member and treasurer for NSBAC, the advocacy arm of NSBA.

“As elected school board members, we’re the perfect voice speaking to decision-makers about the importance of supporting public education and kids,” Reynolds said. “We’re also the perfect voice to mobilize grass-roots support for public education.”

School board members have many opportunities for outreach, Reynolds said, from chamber of commerce meetings to casual encounters with neighbors.

“You can be an advocate in any setting,” she said.

NSBAC shares with Promise of Oregon and Oregon Rising the message that investment in public education is essential to better communities. The Promise of Oregon includes toolkits to help school board members, administrators, teachers and students get their voices heard.